Farmers across multiple districts in Maharashtra are mounting escalating protests, ranging from road blockades to attempted self-harm, against land acquisition for the 760-km, Rs 90,000-crore Shaktipeeth Highway.
The project requires over 8,100 hectares of private farmland, sparking fears of livelihood loss, especially in regions dependent on agriculture and horticulture.
Despite assurances from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, farmer unions and local communities accuse the government of coercive acquisition tactics and ignoring ground realities.
From the dry farmlands of Latur to the sugarcane belts of Beed and the forested edges of Konkan, an undercurrent of anger is turning into a state-wide resistance across stretches of rural Maharashtra. As the Maharashtra government speeds up land acquisition for the proposed Shaktipeeth Highway – a 760-km corridor linking Nagpur to Goa, projected to cost Rs 90,000 crore – farmers say their villages have become sites of daily confrontation.
Survey teams arrive under police protection; farmers respond with road blockades, sit-ins, and in some districts, acts of self-harm.
The tension peaked on November 28 in the Renapur taluka of Latur district. As revenue officials walked into fields to measure land parcels, several farmers reportedly attempted to consume poison in protest, shouting that they would “rather die on their land than hand it over”. Local groups formed human chains to block government vehicles, refusing to let surveying teams pass. The stand-off lasted hours until officials withdrew from the area.
These scenes are not isolated. In October, farmers in Beed district alleged that land was being taken through coercive means. Villagers in Ashti and Patoda talukas accused officials of arriving with a heavy police presence, creating an atmosphere of fear. Some claimed they were told their land would be marked regardless of consent, a charge the administration denies. In several villages, women formed the front lines, sitting cross-legged across dusty roads to prevent survey equipment from being brought in.
The Shaktipeeth Highway, announced as a major infrastructure push, aims to create a seamless north–south corridor connecting Nagpur to Goa via Latur, Beed, Osmanabad, Kolhapur, and the Western Ghats. Promoted as a transformative route to boost tourism, freight movement, and religious travel, linking temples and pilgrimage sites across Vidarbha, Marathwada, and Konkan, the project has quickly become one of the state’s most politically sensitive undertakings.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has repeatedly defended the project, calling it “a historic opportunity for economic integration” and insisting that no land will be acquired without fair compensation. He has accused opposition parties of “spreading fear” among farmers and politicising development.
In June 2025, farmers across 12 districts mounted a large-scale mobilisation against the Shaktipeeth Highway project. In Sangli district, hundreds of farmers converged at Ankali Phata, blocking the Sangli–Kolhapur highway and bringing traffic to a standstill for hours. Police eventually intervened, detaining several protesters, but the agitation only drew more attention.
According to reports, of the 8,615 hectares required for the project, 8,141 hectares are to be taken from private owners, the vast majority of them small and marginal farmers. Many fear the loss of agricultural and horticultural land will permanently upend their livelihoods.
Raju Setti, Leader of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, said that CM Fadnavis will have to understand the geography of the region and think of farmer welfare before going ahead with the project. “The government gives speeches about its supposed dedication to the welfare of farmers. And the very same government continues to roll out policies that directly harm those who toil in the fields,” Setti said.
